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Joseph Stalin's mugshot, 1911. This was his second arrest by the Tsar's police. He had been exiled to a small village after his first arrest in 1908; he escaped, disguised as a woman, and was arrested again, this time for terrorism and robbery. After this arrest, he was sent back into exile.

Day 47 - Yalta Conference

“I didn’t say the result was good. I said it was the best I could do.” -Franklin Roosevelt to diplomat Adolf Berle, Jr.

In the winter of 1945, Roosevelt met with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin for the last time. The setting was the Ukrainian town of Yalta.

The Big Three gathered to chart a course for final victory in World War II.  But during the Yalta Conference, they also struggled to create the basis for post-war cooperation.

FDR received Stalin’s firm commitment to enter the increasingly bloody war against Japan three months after Germany’s defeat. With American casualties rising in the Pacific war— and the atomic bomb yet untested— this was a significant achievement for the President. The Big Three also formally agreed to another of FDR’s priorities—the establishment of the United Nations organization. But there were serious disagreements about the future of Germany and the fate of areas occupied by Soviet armies, especially Poland.  

While at the Yalta Conference, Joseph Stalin presented President Roosevelt with this set of bear fur gloves and Dukat papirosa (unfiltered) cigarettes. Inside the box are 13 unused cigarettes.

Day 48: Crimea Conference - Great Bitter Lake

After the historic conference in Yalta, President Roosevelt traveled from the Crimea region to Egypt where he boarded the USS Quincy in the Great Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal. It would be here that FDR would confer with several Heads-of-State in this region of the world over just a few days time. Security was high as World War II hostilities were ongoing. After much diplomatic correspondence and preparation, all leaders welcomed this opportunity to finally meet and establish a personal friendship with the President. They came together to discuss the major political issues that would affect their countries in the approaching post-war era.

On February 13, King Farouk of Egypt traveled from Cairo and spent much of the day meeting with the President and touring the ship. Emperor Haile Salassie of Ethiopia arrived on board later that evening, bringing with him several gifts—a gold globe and a gold cigarette box with filigree design.

The next day King Abdulaziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia arrived with his large entourage of 48 people. He brought with him many gifts for the President and his family, including:

A steel dagger in a gold and diamond encrusted hilt and sheath

A sword with gold, leather, and diamond sheath

Cotton Handkerchiefs

A silk dress with gold thread and matching underdress

Several camel hair abas

Several gold threaded agals

A box of perfumes in hand painted glass bottles

A box of musk